OzarkKid07

I think this comment made about 500 readers start sweating their mid-October trip to the Rock, including me and my wife/dad/mom and even our 22-week-old little girl who is already a veteran on the water. I'm glad you gave us some good standards to set our expectations by, so when we are throwin' the sink at 'em, we don't start to question our ability, just know that it's normal for the 2nd or 3rd week of October. I know we have been having dreams already of idling out of OMR and never getting on plane before we have to stop and fling something shiny. At least now, if we know it may be in transition we can get our heads right. Thanks for the heads-up Bill. We live vicariously through you until that one magical week where we get to go practice what you been preachin'... and we are so grateful for you! And for the rest of you that post your stories and pictures and reports! Thank you all!

I just started fishing baitcasters in 2009. I bought a pro-qualifier and loved it. I bought 5 more and love them. I bought a Citica and enjoy it, but I still think my PQ reels are significantly smoother and better overall. In my small collection of PQs, I have a 4.7:1 that I use for cranking and I have a 7.1:1 that I use for topwaters and occasionally for burning a spinnerbait. The others are 6.4:1. I love each one, probably a little more than I should love a piece of equipment. They are durable and strong, as well as nice looking. I do maintain them, usually more in the winter, and have never had a problem. The only backlash I have ever had was because SOMEONE in the back of the boat had their rod tip located conveniently behind me and up in the air and my wiggle wart caught their line. You know how that went. I now have a braid backing on all my reels in case I ever let that person fish with me again LOL. Just kidding dad. Speaking of dad, he has mostly the BPS Extreme reels and does like them, although he consistently casts shorter than my PQs (which may also be influenced by a 6-inch rod length difference- I use 7-ft rods and he uses 6.6) and he does have some gear issues and thumb-release issues on occasion. For the money, I would recommend the PQ to anyone who wants to fish a lot and not worry about equipment, but still has to answer to a spouse.

If you work for Humminbird, great job. You just sold a side-imaging unit. Maybe 2. I was convinced before, but I don't see how I can be competitive without that. I mean, I still have to catch the fish, but how much less time I'll likely have to spend looking for them will really pay off! Thanks for the awesome pics; I really enjoyed looking at them.

I have fished Vicious 12 lb. fluoro exclusively for a year and have had no problems at all with it. Actually, I think it's been one of the better lines I've used in my life. I have started using P-line copolymer in 8 pound for some applications just in the last couple months, but will definitely be using the Vicious this year again. It is tough enough for fishin' in the stuff, it reels smoothly for long casts and crankin', and is one of the most sensitive lines I know of for worm and jig fishing.

I noticed that there were no Table Rock reports from this entire week. Did anyone else fish at all during the week? If so, how did you do? Was the drop-shot/spoon bite on?

President.

My wife and my parents and I came down to Big Cedar and stayed from Monday to Friday of last week. The weather left a lot to be desired for a vacation, but we had a great time nonetheless. My dad and I fished almost every morning from sunrise until around 4 and I even got my wife out on Thursday and Friday. She didn't enjoy the 40-55 degree temps or the rain that we got almost every day, but the turning leaves and the pristine water, even with the high levels, were enough to coax her out a couple of times. As far as fishing goes, here's what happened: Monday: We arrived around noon and were on the water (dad and mom in their Ranger, me and Angela in my Tracker) by 3. We went out from Big Cedar and to the left, under the 86 bridge. We kept to the right and passed a large house on a bluff, but went straight across to a point with a small cove. I don't know what this area is called, but I know that we were just down and across from Long Creek. We split up and dad went to a little pocket with some standing timber near Long Creek. Dad caught one short spot in his spot on a T-Rigged centipede. In my first 5 minutes I caught a 3-pound largemouth literally IN a submerged bush on a centipede also. My wife was already asleep in the back of the boat. I ended up catching 2 spots on the 'pede in the next hour and a half, both about 14 inches. Ang was cold so we went in for dinner. Tuesday: Dad and I were up and on the water by 7. It was pretty chilly and raining all day. We went out of big cedar and to the right this time and fished in a flooded flat, back in the trees and brush. We were throwing centipedes and Powerworms in green pumpkin and brown. We caught about 6 smallies from 1.5 to 2.5 pounds and about 10 Ks in the same weight class. We thought some bluffs might be a good choice in the afternoon, but it got so windy and rainy that we decided to call it by 4. We had noticed that 95% of the fish we caught were either tight to tree trunks or in submerged bushes with leaves on them. The other bushes held nothing. We tried buzz baits and spinner baits throughout the day, but only the plastics yielded fish. Wednesday: Raining pretty hard in the morning, so I stayed in bed with the wife. Good brownie points and not missing out on much, so it was a win-win for me I think. Dad and I hit the water and noon and, not knowing where to go, I convinced him to try a stump field out on a main lake point. When we arrived, there was a boat with 3 guys in it sitting way out from the point. I figured they might have been trolling or drop-shotting, but then I reaized that it was a guide with the same idea we had. I told my dad that we should probably go, since I understand it to be bad etiquette to fish someone else's spot, but before we could agree on that, we both hooked up, him on a centipede and me on a PB&J jig with a green pumpkin paca chunk trailer. This was literally about 25 yards from the guide and I am sure he was cussing us on the inside. I felt SO bad and told dad that we should abandon NOW, but the guide took his clients inside the point where there were more stumps, so we moved to the other side of the point. That all being said, if that guide is a contributor here, I want to offer my sincerest apology for our rudeness. In retrospect, I wish I had apologized right then and left, or better yet, not landed on your point at all. Anyway, dad caught about a 3-pound spot and mine was about 1.75. We only caught a couple more that day off of stumps that we located via the MDC website. We went to Branson that evening and saw the Dixie Stampede which was really a great show, delicious food, and some pretty great riding, not to mention beautiful horses. Thursday: We went to Long Creek at 7 a.m. and fished a long, windy, gravel point that had a broken road coming down to it. I put on a Tennessee Shad Wiggle Wart and caught 2 in 5 minutes, then nothing for 30 minutes. We moved back to another long point and I caught about 5, all 7 of which were between 1.5 and 3 pounds. Dad didn't have any Warts and I didn't have anymore in that color, but I gave him a silver one which he threw relentlessly, but only caught 6. We moved back to the point that is on the MO/AR line and I caught about 20 spots, all between 1.5 and 3 pounds. Dad threw everything from Traps to Spots to Bombers to Rapalas. He couldn't get a bite on anything but the Wart. I also caught about a 15 inch walleye. Then the wind changed direction and the fish disappeared. We looked for them the rest of the day, but only found more fish on plastics in 20-30 feet of water, but nothing over 2 pounds. Friday: We went back to Long Creek in hopes of a repeat, but it was much slower. I caught 6 bass on the wart, 1 from each point I went to, and 2 on plastic. Dad caught a couple on a centipede. I had been telling dad all week that we needed to be spooning or drop-shotting in deeper water, but neither of us took the initiative. As I was fixin' to trailer my boat around 11 am, I tied on a 1/2-oz spoon in white and orange and dropped it next to the boat, literally the first time I'd ever tied one one. It hit the bottom and I gave the rod-tip a little jerk. Felt the old "thump" and set the hook on a 1-pound spot. Regret swept over me as the realization of how many fish we could've caught manifested in my brain. I guess I learned a valuable lesson about changing tactics and following my instincts. All in all, an outstanding trip, but probably a week too soon. The weather report looks great this week for Branson. I learned a lot about myself and about Table Rock fish, and had a great time with my parents and my wife. We are looking forward to coming back to Big Cedar many times in the future and definitely learning more about this amazing fishery. I'd like to extend another sincere apology to the guide who we were inconsiderate to and lastly, a huge THANK YOU to all who have answered questions in the past and who post information every day for us to prepare for trips, and for those of us who live vicariously through your adventures between vacations.

Wow, great info guys! Thanks a lot! I fully expect to catch hundreds of bass using your tips and if I do not, you can expect to hear from my lawyer. hahaha just kidding. Really thanks a million and I will be sure to take lots of pictures and give a good report when we get back. Also, I have caught some nice bass this year up here in Illinois, but it's obviously not Ozarks fishing. Would anyone want to see them or should I just stick them on the MidStates Anglers site? Just curious. I want to participate more here, but I only make it down to Ozark country a couple times a year. Thanks again!

Eric, I really appreciate all your advice on this and other questions I have asked. Your generosity with information and insight is gratefully received. And that goes for many people on this forum. Do you or does anyone have any experience with Big Cedar that they can share? I promise not to make my decision based on the response to that.

We're thinking about coming down with my parents to try and get some of that high-energy fall fishing, but we aren't exactly sure what the best time is for that down there. Anyone have any advice about the best week to make that trip? Here's a pic from this spring, just for fun.

My wife and I are probably going to come back and stay at Big Cedar in June for my birthday. Is there a big difference in the fishing (strategy, water type) down where Big Cedar is versus up the James where we were? Also, is there more or less traffic/pressure in that area?

Well, I gotta say, I'm completely jealous of all you who live in the Table Rock area. What a tremendous fishery! I fished it for the first time this last week and I am in love with the lake. We stayed at Hide Away Resort in the James Arm and I'm glad we did. The water was beautiful, the leaves were budding, and there was no shortage of fish, even for my wife who has never bass fished before! We arrived Wednesday around 3 o'clock p.m. and raced to get the boat in the water. We left the women to unpack the cabin and my dad and me got to the important stuff. Wednesday afternoon/evening we fished until we couldn't see anymore and ended up with several fish in the 15-17 inch range and 1 fish that was 4-3, caught by my dad in 30 feet of water next to a sheer wall on an island. Thursday morning we caught about 30 fish in the back of a cove on poppers between 6:30 and 8. Then we moved out and fished bluffs and 20-50 feet of water the rest of the day with about 15 fish between 1.5 and 3.5 pounds coming in on pumpkin centipedes. In the evening, we caught about 8 fish on white spinnerbaits on flats with some bushes sticking up in about 5-10 feet of water. We did have a white grub as a trailer with a trailer hook on the spinnerbaits. Friday, we basically repeated the same pattern, but visited the island in the afternoon. I took a 4.5 pound LM on a topwater over a point and several spots that were just so fat I could not believe it! We dragged the ladies out for the morning topwater bite and my wife caught 2 on a buzzbait and 1 on a popper before she fell asleep on the bench seat. She had actually caught her first LM of her life on a pumpkin centipede on Thursday, Texas-rigged with a 3/16-ounce slip sinker on a 3/0 Gamakatsu offset hook. Saturday we caught some 2-3 pound spots and made it back to the slip just before the torrent hit. Then my wife got called in for an emergency situation at work and we had to leave and drive back to Illinois. We caught the majority of our fish on either pumpkin or red or chartreuse centipedes or topwaters in the morning. I caught 1 spot on a silver wart in the back of a cove and we caught probably 12 total on the spinnerbaits. All in all, it was an unbelievable trip with lots of fish, all carefully and lovingly released back for another day. Only 1 fish was injured due to swallowing my Gamakatsu, but I think he will make it. I left Table Rock with an even deeper love for the Ozarks and a new fondness for Kentucky bass. I'm really jealous of you Ozarkians and someday I will be one of you. Also, of note, I ran into a couple of fellas and we got to talkin' back in Aunt's Creek and one of them GAVE me a package of pumpkin centipedes after I mentioned that we had caught a bunch on them but were running out. Whether that person is on this forum or not, I hope he knows what a blessing he was to me and my family and that his generosity is so greatly appreciated. An outstanding fishery, amazing people, gorgeous fish, and perfect weather all added up to one of the best trips I've had in a long time.

Trav, for all your "Dawson's Creekishness" and over-reaction, that last post was HILARIOUS. You are a crazy cook bro. You're like a ratings HOG for this site.

I hear ya' Trav. I'm just sayin, I don't think you'll HAVE to move. I think we're reading too much into this. Before we go all Gossip Girl about it, let's see what Phil has to say. I would bet my 2009 fishing license he isn't going to do something that would be regressive or detrimental.

Hey fellers! I certainly don't know the whole story and I don't know Phil, but my guess is he is the type of guy who is loyal to a fault, just from what I've seen here. Odds are OA will probably remain the tight-knit community of guys that make it as special as it is, with all of the watchers and readers still visiting and learning, and all of the non-residents living vicariously through the residents. The new forum will probably be a mix of Ozark angling information and information from a wider area of fisheries. Either way, we should give Phil the benefit of the doubt that he will do the right thing by not only the folks who have made this site so great, but also by his own goals and ambition, which we should support. Again, I probably don't have all the facts, but from what I see, there is no harm to be done. I'll still be reading whatever and wherever Chief and Trav and Dano and Al are posting. I'll also be pumped about someone like Phil attracting new types of folks LIKE those guys, to report on waters that I get to fish regularly.